Day Out at The NPG – Part 1 – Eddie – A One Shot Story

Part 1 of a three-part post that has been inspired by my experiences of attending an analogue portraiture workshop in London.I kindly invite you to read on!

I have been involved with photography since my early teens.  Not always actively taking pictures in a serious way.  That has gone in fits and starts.  But always maintaining an interest.

Through visiting exhibitions, reading magazines, keeping up-to-date with technological trends, engaging with my son who is a graduate fine arts photographer and of course using the ubiquitous smart phone camera.  As well as infrequent use of a digital camera or two or more.

Of late I have returned to serious picture taking.  I have dusted off and had my collection of analogue cameras serviced and the batteries charged up on the digital cameras.  Add to that a programme of grab it where I can educational activities.  Attending talks, workshops and have joined a photographic club.  There, I have listened to and taken note of competition judge’s comments of other people’s work, and that sort of thing.

One such workshop was at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in late June.  Titled Analogue Photography Portraits Workshop.  Held in their Law Photography Studio and led by Eddie Otchere.  I do recommend visiting the exhibition space in that studio.  Lots of black-and-white portraits created by diverse talents.  And what about Eddie?

Eddie is a British Ghanaian photographer, cultural chronicler and educator.  His work has been collected by the NPG as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A).  He started his photographic career by documenting the Hip-Hop, Rap, Rave and Underground Youth Culture of the 90s.  Eddie is the one on the left in the photograph at top.  A lovely unassuming guy and great mentor.

Instructions for the workshop were; we will provide cameras and film.  Then at the end of the day develop the film for you, review and discuss your results.  Or, you can bring your own camera and we will provide the film and so on.

I chose the latter course.  So, I got to the venue.  I was the first one there.  Eddie came out to meet me.  After having done the meet and greet bit Eddie said “have you brought a camera with you?” “Yes” I replied.  “What is it?”  “A Nikon FM3a.”  “Very nice” he replied.  “What lens have you got with it?”  “An 85 mil” I said.  Whereupon the expression on his face changed to one of puzzlement if not confusion, an unsaid What??

“Nobody shoots with an 85 these days” he says, “nobody”.   I am nonplussed then say,  “well I do have a 50 in my bag so I can use that”.  Regaining his composure he says “no, no use it, use the 85.  You will be operating at different distances and perspectives from the rest of the group.  It will be very interesting to compare the results”.  Eddie then went on to explain to me that modern portrait photography is all about using short focal lengths and at times putting the camera in somebody’s face.  Using a 28 mil is not unusual these days.

Eddie and I had a walkaround looking at some of the portraits on the walls as he explained that they were all short focal length photos. That led me to venture a personal theory, an explanation if you like, for the cultural and evolutionary use, of the 28 mm lens.

The modern world has been brought up using smart phones for photography.  Out of curiosity I had wanted to know what the field of view of my smart phone’s camera was.  I had composed a shot on the smart phone’s screen noting what fixed objects there were at either end of the screen.  I then replicated that scene with my full frame digital camera, adjusting the zoom lens accordingly.  Then I read the focal length that the zoom lens was set to.  28 mm.  Meaning that using a 28 mm lens is the culturally ingrained norm for the modern generations of photographers.  Eddie didn’t disagree.  On the other hand maybe, I am wrong and they do it because they are told to directly.  Or indirectly through influence.  (Part 3 addresses my comments on why we used to shoot with an 85 in days gone by and maybe still do.)

Just after that engagement the next person walked through the door.  Repeat scenario, meet, greet, enquiry as to camera and lens.  He too had an FM3a with an 85 mil lens.  Similar conversation.  Shortly after another guy came in with three bags full of cameras and lenses.  SLRs, Rangefinders, Polaroids, numerous lenses.  The term bling came to mind.

The cameras the NPG were providing were some old model of Minolta.  What lens they had I don’t know and I never bothered to find out.  I guess somewhere between 35 and 50.  Eddie said they were using that particular model of Minolta because they could be bought on the second-hand market for a tenner each.

Eventually we were all there and assembled in the studio room for an introductory chat from  Eddie.  The film they gave us was Ilford Delta 400.  Something I had never used before but was becoming increasingly interested in due entirely to liking the feel, technical characteristics and quality of the images being posted on this blog site by various contributors.

Having loaded my camera, I started using it there and then.  The shot at the top of this post is an early example.  What you see there is more or less straight out of the camera.

We were introduced to our subject for the day.  A gentleman in his late 70s.  Kit by name who is a professional photographic and artist’s model.

With Kit in tow, away we went and did some location shooting in Soho.  Occasionally a member of the public would ask “is that guy famous? is he off the telly?”.  No doubt thinking we were a bunch of Paps.

If only.  Interestingly, Eddie did inform us in his introductory comments of how Paps conduct themselves when they are working a target.  However, we didn’t have to work our target, Kit.  He was more than co-operative, professional and helped us enormously.

There is more to tell but that is for Parts 2 and 3.  But for now on a closing note, just to say that we had a really good day, very well worth it and well looked after by Eddie,

Next episode, One Shot Story, Day Out at The NPG Part 2 – Kit, coming to this blog post soon.

In terms of the technicalities for the picture. Nikon FM3a, 85 mm f/2.0 Nikkor, Ilford Delta 400, available light. Obviously, a slow shutter speed. And please note all lens focal lengths stated above are relevant to the 35mm full frame format.

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